Will this degree lead to a job with the UN?

Many graduates do enter the humanitarian sector, but UN agency roles are competitive everywhere and usually require strong language skills, field experience and often a master's. The Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies is an early step on that path rather than a guarantee.

Does the course cover climate-induced displacement?

Yes. Climate-induced and disaster-related displacement is one of the fastest-growing areas of the field, and the degree treats it as core content rather than a side note.

Is field experience part of the programme?

Where field or applied components exist, they will be confirmed at enrolment. The degree is also designed so students who undertake voluntary work or internships with NGOs alongside their studies can integrate that experience into their learning.

Is the degree internationally recognised?

HICL is a UK-based provider. Refugee and migration work is global and structured degrees in the field are recognised across humanitarian employers. As with any career in this sector, your language skills, experience and country knowledge matter alongside the degree.

Bachelor in Refugee Protection & Forced Migration Studies

Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies at HICL

Forced migration is one of the defining issues of the century. Wars, climate shocks, persecution and state collapse have pushed tens of millions of people across borders, and the systems that are supposed to protect them — international refugee law, national asylum procedures, UNHCR, NGOs, host-state services — are under more strain than at any point since they were built. The Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies is for people who want to understand and work inside that system.

This is a three-year undergraduate degree for students aiming at humanitarian, policy, legal and NGO careers. The Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies takes the subject seriously as a discipline — legally, politically, sociologically — while keeping a steady eye on the operational work that protection actually involves on the ground.

What you will study

You will work through international refugee law (the 1951 Convention and its Protocol, regional instruments), human rights law, the architecture of international protection (UNHCR, IOM, host states, donors), asylum procedures and refugee status determination, durable solutions (return, local integration, resettlement), internal displacement, statelessness, gender and protection, climate-induced displacement, and the operational realities of camps, urban refugees and host communities. The Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies is built to leave you fluent in both the legal vocabulary and the field vocabulary of the sector.

Who This Degree Is For

School leavers and undergraduates committed to humanitarian and refugee work as a career.
Aspiring lawyers and policy researchers focusing on asylum, migration and human rights.
Civil society and NGO entry-level workers wanting a structured academic base under their motivation.
Members of refugee or affected communities who want to study their field formally and contribute as practitioners.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies typically progress into entry-level roles at NGOs and humanitarian organisations, programme assistant positions with UN agencies and INGOs, legal support and casework roles in asylum systems, policy research posts at think tanks and government departments, and community-level work with refugee and migrant organisations. Many continue into a master's in refugee studies, human rights or international law.

How the Programme Is Delivered

The Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies is delivered across three years through taught modules, seminars, case studies and applied projects. Specific module structure, any field or research components and intake calendar are confirmed at enrolment.

Entry Requirements

Completion of upper-secondary education.
Minimum age 18.
IELTS 5.5 or accepted equivalent for non-native English speakers.
Genuine interest in human rights, law or humanitarian work is encouraged.

Apply for the Bachelor in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies

If you want to spend the next decade working on one of the hardest and most necessary fields in international affairs, click Enroll Now. HICL admissions will respond within one working day with the next steps.